A photo posted by Stella! (@stellamaxwell) on Aug 3, 2013 at 1:10pm PDT

In her interview with Maxim for the cover story of their June/July 2016 issue, which includes a risqué Joshua Tree photoshoot with Gilles Bensimon, Maxwell attributes her success to positive thinking, working hard, and being a late bloomer.

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Image: Gilles Bensimon for Maxim

“I believe that thinking positively and envisioning the best possible outcome can add to your achievements,” she says. “It doesn’t always work out, but if I visualize myself getting what I want, it can happen. Positivity helps with everything in life.”

Citing her friends and fellow models Bella Hadid and Barbara Palvin, she told Maxim “I think those of us who have found success grew into ourselves in our 20s. . . I know I was not the hottest chick at school! We all peaked a little later than the other girls.”

Maxwell was spotted by a model scout when she was at university in New Zealand but committed to completing her degree before launching her modeling career.

“If I wasn’t a model, I don’t know what I’d do, but I would be working just as hard at whatever it was,” she said.